After a wonderfully restorative autumn weekend with no in-laws and my dogs and cat and extra time given to extra, unplanned rambles in the fields and woods, I write:

IF YOU LIE DOWN WITH

CLEAN DOGS

YOU WILL GET UP TONGUE-BATHED

FOR THE PARTY

READY TO CELEBRATE

YOUR BAPTISM

INTO THE FAITH SHARED

BETWEEN DOG-LOVER

AND HUMAN-LOVER

THAT MAMMALIAN HEARTS

ARE WARMED BY TOUCH AND LIGHT

WHERE A NEW FIRE IN THE

JOINED SOULS GIVES JUST ENOUGH

GLOW TO SHOW

THE WAY TO COMFORT.

I also pondered:

LAST OF THE SUN GLOWING

BACK OF THE TALL ORANGEY TREE

CLAIMING THE HIGH SPOT BACKING

INTO THE WATER IN THE LOWSPOT

LOOKING SOMEHOW BRIGHTER

FOR BEING UNEXPECTED WHERE WE LINGER.

On yet another self-indulging stroll:

SUNSETTING AUTUMN FLOCKS

SHUTTLING HOME ON

AIR HIGHER AND HIGHER

WAVING FAR ABOVE

THE EVER-COOLING DOWNDRAFT

SWEEPS THAT MIGHT

FIX THEM UPON A HIGH-MINDED BRANCH

BUT NOT THE WOOD OF HOME.

I was nudged by these outings to ruminate on those not so blessed as I to just GO OUT, WALK, DROP THE WHITE HAIRS LIKE CRUMBS. Here are some musings:

WE NEVER KNOW WHO IS LONELY UNTIL WE SEEK THEM OUT.

LIVING RIGHTEOUSLY WILL PINCH THOSE WHO SEEK THE DARK, CAUSING THEM TO SHRIEK IN THE MARKETPLACES AGAINST YOU!

YOU WHO ARE ABUSED MUST BECOME THE HEALER POURING THE OIL ON STORMY WATERS OF THE ANGER BOILING OUT OF THE VENTS AND GUTTERS, DRAINING FROM THE ROOFTOPS, UPON ALL WHO MUST ENTER THE MARKETPLACES.

WHY CANNOT THE TALL BACKLIT ORANGE LEAVES, BEING LAST TO HOLD THE SUN’S KISS, FLUTTER JUST A LITTLE MORE, A LITTLE LOWER TO CARESS MY BROW’S CRINKLE AND DEPOSIT THOSE DESIRED GOLDEN NUGGETS OF FORBEARANCE AT THE NIGHTFALL ENTRY TO MY OWN DOORWAY? THEN WOULD BE LAID DOWN A GILDING CARPET OVER THE REJOININGS OF THE CRACKS IN THE HEARTSTRINGS TO KNIT A BINDING OVER THE HASTY WORDS AND HALTING STEPS AT NIGHTPAIRING?

WAKING UP TODAY WITH DOGS AND COFFEE, A SCHOOLBUS GOING BY TOO FAST, RUMBLING THE STOMACHS, FINALLY TILTING TO THE VERTICAL THOUGHTS SENT UP AND AWAY FROM THE ANCIENT SELFSTUDY RUMBLING THE SOUL AND OUTWARDS TOWARDS LIFE ITSELF FOR THE HEARTSTRINGS: A SMALL CONNECTIONS TO A BIRD OR NEIGHBOR!

Truly, I am very grateful to have dogs and leaves on which to shed unwanted hairs from my thinking!

4)all of the above sharpening my creative focus and almost pre-selecting my words for me

All of the above are so nourishing for my soul that I am renewed constantly as I write, even when editing and being interrupted with the detritus left over from a day of pushing all that “busy-stuff” onto the back burner of my life!

Hooray for quiet spirits gathering all around me. Thank you, one and all!